Summary:

Liz is in the hospital and keeps having a “dream” that a series of events happen (they are always the same) leading her to the morgue (room 22), where a nurse says that there is “room for one more, honey.” Her doctor won’t believe her causing her to eventually leave the hospital, but at an airport, a very similar series of events happen, leading her to plane 22, which she luckily refuses to get on, as it blows up.

 

Bechdel Test:

  • Passes!
  • Liz chats with a nurse before she leaves the hospital

 

Gender Roles of Important Characters:

  • Liz
    • Masculine (8)
      • Self-reliant, defends own beliefs, independent, assertive, strong personality, forceful, willing to take a stand
    • Feminine (1)
      • Childlike
  • The doctor
    • Masculine (7)
      • Defends own beliefs, assertive, strong personality, forceful, analytical, leadership ability, acts as a leader
    • Feminine (1)
      • Sensitive to others’ needs
  • Barney
    • Masculine (4)
      • Self-reliant, independent, strong personality, ambitious
    • Feminine (1)
      • Cheerful

 

Analysis:

I felt that this episode focused a lot on how men see women. In the episode, no one seems to believe Liz. All of the men around her objectify her, in large part because she is a “professional dancer,” by which they mean stripper. Her doctor sees her as a sex object, making multiple comments about how he would like to get with her while completely ignoring her struggles. Her agent just sees her as a check, as a means of income. Thus, as a woman, she is not seen as a human. I almost think they did this to bring attention to the issue, though, as, in the end, it becomes clear that Liz was right all along.

This episode also works at making Liz appear weak, despite all of her strong masculine characteristics. It is almost like the writers of the episode regretted her personality traits. Thus, they made her ridiculously emotional when scared (she flails about, screaming and sometimes falling on the ground), and they made it so that she is always carrying around a toy (whether that be a doll or a stuffed animal) as if she is a small child. It almost seems as if they were afraid to make a female character who was so strong, so they gave her a couple surface level characteristics that counteracted her strong personality.

Shared by: Grace White
Image Credit: The Twilight Zone, CBS via Netflix